Epistemic injustice in the transgender and gender diverse patient-doctor relationship

Abstract

In this thesis, I apply concepts of epistemic injustice- wrong done to one as a knower- to qualitative data that describes transgender and gender diverse (TGD) patients' interactions with doctors and other healthcare employees. The analysis of the data through the concepts shows that both kinds of epistemic injustice described by Miranda Fricker, testimonial injustice and hermeneutical injustice, as well as Kristie Dotson's concept of testimonial smothering and Gale Pohlhaus Jr.’s concept of willfull hermeneutical ignorance, occur in the TGD patient- doctor relationship. The data was collected through interviews with Latvian TGD people who have received gender-affirming healthcare. The data was split into four themes through a thematic analysis. Each theme reveals that at least one kind of epistemic injustice occurs throughout the theme. The epistemic kind of injustice reveals itself by blocking the intake of knowledge of TGD people's identities and access to gender-affirming care in medical interactions.